For Him
by ShazyWrites
Summary: Classic Sonic knew he doesn't deserve the small locket necklace now that the war is over and his modern counterpart is alive, so he decided to give it to him instead before he makes his depart. (Takes place a little while after Forces. Originally for June 23rd, 2019)


The hills in Green Hill Zone shimmered under the sun brightly. The sky was a light blue, indicating that it would be only an hour or two before the day reaches noon. The birds could be seen chirping as they flew in the warm breeze in flocks happily, overjoyed by the peace and freedom sought after six months of war.

It was a fine day, one day after the final war against Dr. Eggman ended. Mobians and humans are rebuilding their cities all over the world. Although it will take a long time for things to be back to normal, all of them remained jovial. Jovial for mainly one thing.

Eggman Empire has finally fallen.

Things will never be the same as before though, but they knew this change would end up pulling them closer together.

However, there was one child who had to return back to where he came from. His place wasn't here, and he knew that very well. And with that in mind, he decided to give something very dear to someone who deserved it better than him.

Classic Sonic sighed at the view of Sunrise City, which was currently being rebuilt before running off the hill.

XXXXX

_The younger counterpart of the heroic hedgehog caressed the silver locket necklace in his hand, his fingers swept around on the surface of the circle-shaped pendant softly. He looked up to see Tails, the future version of his Tails, who smiled brightly._

"_Open it."_

_He obliged and turned the locket open, only to see a picture of his older counterpart with the kit. Both of them were smiling – Modern Sonic's charming smile radiated off the glass-encased picture, emerald green eyes showing off the typical feeling of carefreeness. Tails was next to him, the back of his neck loosely locked under the hedgehog's left arm, smiling happily. Classic Sonic's mouth shaped into an 'o' before smiling, his heart warmed by the picture._

'_They seemed so close…'_

"_I just thought that I should give it to you," Tails spoke, making the hedgehog of his age look up at him. "It was originally for Sonic's birthday, but since he's now… Gone… I think you should have it. It's better for the locket to have an owner who's from the past than not having an owner at all. Besides… By giving it to you to keep it at least I'll know that Sonic had received it, even if he would lose it years ago."_

_Classic Sonic amazedly pondered at the kit's words. It was rather amazing how his theory would work out, but... He wondered if the kit was alright with him keeping it. Was it the right thing to keep the locket?_

_It was meant to be for his future self instead of him, and although he might not be alive anymore..._

_Something seemed to hit him in the face._

_If his future self was gone... Wouldn't that mean?..._

_He looked at Tails, a look of guilt, worry, and fear clearly shown across his face._

_Tails spoke again with a reassuring smile, which unfortunately didn't make him feel any better._

"_It's fine. I'm happier if you keep it for him."_

_Classic Sonic casted his eyes to the floor. It wasn't that he meant... But..._

_If that's how it was bound to go like... If that's how he will die..._

_At least he knew that he'll die protecting the world._

_He caressed the locket in his hand once again, the silver material gleaming white in the evening sunlight. _

_Yeah, he __**will **__die protecting the world. And he'll make sure that while he is still breathing, he will save the world from whatever form of evil, Dr. Robotnik or not. And this locket..._

_The young hero sighed lightly before smiling again._

_This locket will be the __**proof**__ of his __**achievements**__._

_Classic Sonic looked up and gave the kit a thumbs-up._

'_Thanks. I'll try keeping it as safe as possible, buddy.'_

_Despite how the words weren't spoken, Tails could understand what he meant. "I know you will keep it safe, but I won't blame you if you do lose it."_

XXXXX

"For… Me?"

Sonic the Hedgehog held the locket necklace in his hand, a bewildered look etched onto his face features. Looking down at his younger counterpart, he asked. "Where did you get this?"

The younger hedgehog signed*. _"Tails gave it to me a few days back. I think you deserved it better."_

"Why so?"

"_It was originally for you." _Classic Sonic hesitated before signing again. _"He said it was for your birthday, but that was when you were gone so…"_

"… I see." The older hedgehog tried the necklace on before opening up the locket, only to see a picture of him and Tails. Upon seeing the small photo he softly smiled. "This was from a week before Eggman take over the world…"

Sonic glanced back at his younger self. Then something that was least expected by the time-travelling hedgehog happened.

The older hedgehog took the necklace off before closing it around his neck, making him jump ever so slightly.

"_Wait, what are you doing?!"_

"You should keep it." He replied, smiling a little at his reaction before backing off. The locket hung slightly past his chest, indicating that it was a little too big for him to wear.

Chuckling, he continued. "Well now that I look at it again, seems like it's a_ tiny_ bit too big for ya to put on, eh? Heheh- Well, I guess that means you're gonna have to keep it in your quills instead."

Classic Sonic looked at him, his hands ready to sign before the elder cut him off. "No no, it's fine - Think of it as a souvenir from the future. It's a shame if you return without something to remember any of this."

His ears flattened onto his head, eyes shone with worry. _"But…"_

"Besides," Sonic cut him off again, patting him on the shoulder, which made the hedgehog avert his gaze back to his face to see his bright, reassuring smile. "Tails wanted you to keep it. Even if it was for my birthday it's yours now, seeing that he had given it to you."

The elder winked at him, making him blink in surprise. Very slowly, Classic Sonic glanced down at the locket, which was hanging on his chest.

The locket glimmered, radiating the evening sunlight that shone over it. He suddenly remembered Tails' words when he had agreed to keep the locket.

"_I know you will keep it safe, but I won't blame you if you do lose it."_

He looked back at Sonic and shrugged before giving him a small smile.

"_Thanks, I guess."_

Sonic returned the smile by a hundredfold, satisfied. "You're welcome, buddy. Now c'mon, let's head back to the base – we have a little celebration to hold for our victory!"

With a nod, Classic Sonic tailed after his modern counterpart as they head back to the Resistance's base in Sunrise City.

XXXXX

The sky was a nice azure blue.

Sonic stood on one of the hills in Green Hill Zone where he had given the locket necklace to his younger counterpart on the next morning.

It wasn't expected when he left on that morning.

Despite how his eyes were locked onto the currently rising Sunrise City, his mind wandered off to somewhere else.

He guessed that he must have not looked after the necklace well. He didn't think he remember receiving it when he was younger.

But then again, he didn't even remember time-travelling to the future twice. Or did he get amnesia or something?

_No,_ he thought, shaking his head in disagreement. _If I did then I would've known, even Tails would know, and if he did he would've told me. Eggy's surely not that strong to be able to make me forget, c'mon, who am I kidding? It had to be the effects of the time travel or something..._

Time travel was surely weird, he suddenly wondered if that was actually his past self or an alternate version of himself from another dimension**.

He preferred the former, no matter how impossible it sounded in his head.

XXXXX

"Sonic! Have you finished packing up yet?"

"Just a lil' bit more, Tails!"

A week later, the two brothers were moving their things onto the Tornado to bring them to their new home in Mystic Ruins. When their old house there was wrecked in the war, Tails moved to Green Hill in a small base, which was originally a ransacked workshop. After they built a new house a few miles away from the old one, they decided to move their things from the old house and Tails' old base to there.

As for right now, the two of them were inside their old home. Sonic was kneeling in front of his broken down bed, sorting out a few items he had fished out from under the damaged furniture, some including a few rings in a small chest that he had forgotten he had kept as a backup supply. The blue hedgehog had found a lot of treasure under the bed, some he used to cherish, others had become junk in his eyes, but there were still a fair number of things that he wished to save.

Sonic scanned the long, white-lined red scarf*** in his hand carefully before folding it and put it inside a cardboard box. He then leaned in, reaching out his hand under the bed again. His hand swept around for any leftover items on the hidden floor before his hand caught something sleek yet metallic.

"Huh? What's this?"

Pulling out the item, he quickly recognized it as a rusty old necklace. He carefully held it, caressing the locket to rub off the dust before finding a button on the edge of it. He clicked it open in half and saw a familiar picture.

His eyes went wide upon registering what it was, not believing what he had just found.

The photo was already faded, but their smiles remain unchanged.

"Sonic!"

When the kit showed up in front of the doorstep with his toolbox Sonic quickly stuffed the locket necklace into his box. "Oh, hey Tails. Are we going now?"

"Well yeah, I've started the Tornado. Are you done?"

Sonic glanced at the locket inside the box. "Well, almost… You can go first if you want. I'll catch up to ya later, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Tails looked at him anxiously. "I mean, if the box is heavy… Don't you want me to bring it along too? I can get you another box on the Tornado, just in case if you find something else. At least you won't have to bring a heavier box."

"Nah, s' fine!" Sonic swatted him away politely, grinning. "This box ain't that heavy, anyway. There's nothing going to go wrong while I run back with it, I assure you!"

"But Sonic… Our new house is far from here…" He put the box on his side before standing up, ruffling the kit's bangs. "Sooniiiic…"

He chuckled a bit upon hearing a grumble coming from him and continued his reasoning. "Our new home is just two zones away, Tails. I'll just zip through real quick, no worries. You can go first, I don't mind."

Tails stared at him for a while before he sighed, shrugging. "Well, if you say so… I'll see you later, okay Sonic?"

"Right! Catch ya later, Tails."

The kit left the room with his toolbox in his hand. Sonic managed a small sigh, and then his right ear flicked upon hearing the sound of a plane taking off.

_Well, that was quick._

He fished out the locket necklace once again, smiling. His hand touched the faded picture, memories of his early adventures flooded in upon remembering how the necklace was always with him once before he somehow forgot where he placed it one day.

_So that __**was**__ him…_

_And it seems that he __**did **__lose the necklace after all._

_How careless of him._

.

.

.

XXXXX

**One thing; I love time paradoxes now.**

***: Non-canonically, (Modern) Sonic can understand sign language since he had to learn it as a temporary mute when he was a child, which is why his classic self doesn't speak at all in the games. He never used sign language with Tails because he doesn't understand it, so due to not practicing it in a long time he had forgotten some of it. It is still a mystery how he can make noises when he was a temporary mute...**

****: I found out about this theory from Ways' "I'm Not Him", a Classic Sonic & Tails one-shot about how the Classic Sonic in Sonic Forces is not the same Classic Sonic from Sonic Generations. I didn't write this one-shot based on that theory though, I only use it as part of (Modern) Sonic's thoughts. I really like the idea of it.**

*****: What's this? It's a Sonic Skyline cameo! MWEHEHEHEH-**

**Don't forget to leave a review and favorite this story if you like it!**

**-ShazPLUS**


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